1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a multitrack recorder that records a sound signal in a plurality of tracks.
2. Related Art
A hitherto-known multitrack recorder records a sound signal into a plurality of tracks. A multitrack recorder makes it possible to record a rhythm guitar part in a track 1 and a lead guitar part in a track 2 by use of; for instance, an electric guitar and a vocal sound in a track 3 by use of a built-in microphone and mix down them to thereby generate and record a stereo signal.
It is desirable that the multitrack recorder be able to record a sound signal in as many tracks as possible. In the meantime, when an attempt is made to make the multitrack recorder compact in consideration of portability, limiting the number of tracks might be unavoidable. Measures that are conceivable in the circumstances are to limit the number of tracks to a certain number; for instance, four and make some of the tracks assignable to either a monaural type or a stereo type rather than fixing the tracks solely to monaural types to enhance user's convenience.
JP 2007-165984 A describes technology intended for performing more diverse sound pickup operations. Performing diverse sound pickup operations would be effected only by a combination of directions of main axes of a plurality of directional microphones whose main axes can be independently changed with a sound signal processing device.
In a configuration in which the number of tracks is limited to a constant value and in which some of the tracks can be set to either a monaural type or a stereo type, an input source must be switched according to a track type. Specifically, when a track in which a sound signal is to be recorded is of a monaural type, one input source conforming to the monaural type is set. In the meantime, when a track in which a sound signal is to be recorded is of a stereo type, a plurality of input sources conforming to the stereo type must be set. However, in this case, the user must correctly grasp which track is set to a monaural type or a stereo type. Thus, an oversight of settings or a setting failure could occur. As a matter of course, there is also available a configuration that makes it possible for the user to switch a screen to a dedicated screen to ascertain a type of each track in each case. However, the configuration would be troublesome and deteriorate operability.